Season 5, Episode 2: “How Do I Survive and Thrive on My First Ever Business Trip?”

PIGGY 0:00
I’m Piggy.

KITTY 0:00
And I’m Kitty.

PIGGY 0:02
And we are the bitches in Bitches Get Riches.

KITTY 0:05
We are what happens when theater kids are allowed to self publish.

PIGGY 0:09
And we’re here to explain why Rent is the worst musical ever. And if you want a dose of socioeconomic commentary with your catchy show tunes, you’re way better off just seeing your local high school’s production of Les Mis for the fourth time.

KITTY 0:22
Our time on this planet is limited.

PIGGY 0:24
So let’s get started.

KITTY 0:53
Today’s letter comes to us from dedicated follower Vidapuppen.

PIGGY 0:58
Vi-da-pup-PEN.

KITTY 0:59
I hope it’s Vidapuppen, and not Vidapoopen. The question is: bitches, this is not strictly finance related, but I have to go on my first business trip at the end of the month and help. I have never done a work trip before. Do you have any tips?

PIGGY 1:15
Oh, boy, do we.

PIGGY 1:16
We have stories.

KITTY 1:17
Oh, we have such tales.

KITTY 1:20
We have such tales from the Midnight Society.

Okay, Jess, actually, before we even get into, like, the business trip part of this, can you just give everyone my absolute favorite Trav travel tip, which I learned from you the last time that you and I traveled together. This, like, front desk thing?

PIGGY 1:34
Oh, yes, yes, yes, yes…

Okay, so first of all, you know how you tip the bellman and the guy who takes your car and the door guy? Like, you tip everybody at a hotel? But nobody ever really tips the front desk clerk.

And this person arguably has, like, the most control over your stay. Like, they. They choose your room when you check in. Like, rooms are not sort of, like, set aside unless you, like, specifically request, like, presidential suite or whatever. So the front desk clerk, they have a lot of control over whether you get a quiet room or a noisy room or, like, a gross room or a room that’s conveniently located.

So what you want to do is you want to tip them, but you want to be real cool about it. So as you’re checking in, you slide a large bill on the counter and you say, would you mind breaking this for me? And they will say, oh, yes, of course. I am happy to do that for you.

And then they’ll break it for you, and they’ll continue checking you in, and then you leave part of the money on the counter, and they’ll be like, oh, I believe you forgot this darling guest. And you just have to be like, no, no, that’s for you. And that way they’re like, oh, my gosh. This guest just tipped me. No one ever tips me. Everyone always forgets the desk clerk.

So that’s my tip. My tip is to tip the desk clerk as soon as you’re checking in, and you will have a blessed stay for the rest of your time in the hotel.

KITTY 2:59
Yeah, I think that the last time we did this, our front desk clerk was a lovely lady named Angel.

PIGGY 3:04
Shout out, Angel!

KITTY 3:06
We tipped her—like, this is not an extravagant tip. We gave her, like, 10 bucks, but she then was like, oh, you guys are interested in the fact that our hotel is supposedly haunted. Okay, so I’m gonna put you on the most haunted floor, and I’m gonna call my boyfriend over, who is here. He works here, but he’s off the clock right now, and he’s, like, just bored waiting for me to finish up. So he’s gonna take the most haunted sections of the basement for free.

PIGGY 3:33
And it was like a private ghost tour! Of this, like, historic hotel ghost tour! Amazing.

KITTY 3:39
At the low, low price of $10. It was amazing. Anyways.

PIGGY 3:42
It was awesome.

KITTY 3:43
I’m just like, that… That blasted me backward. That blew me away when you. When you showed me this, and I saw with my own eyes that it worked. So, like, I think we need to trumpet this from the mountaintops. It’s a great tip.

So now we can get into the business trip.

PIGGY 3:59
Okay, so I would say my number one tip—besides tipping the desk clerk—is to treat this like work, not vacation.

Like, really. Remember, a work trip is not a vacation. You are not there to party. You are there to work. You are on the clock. And I don’t mean WERK. I like, you are there for WORK.

KITTY 4:22
The worst vowel.

PIGGY 4:25
The non-fun work, yeah.

KITTY 4:26
I would say that, like, work trips are kind of work traps.

It is like, the first time that I had to go on one, I kind of lost my marbles about it because I was like, you want me to be there at 8 in the morning? You want me to go until 6pm? Because they crammed in all these extra meetings because we had all these people flying in from all over. Although for me, it was still, like, kind of semi-local. And then you want to take me out for dinner afterward? And then everybody was, like, pestering me to go out for drinks afterwards? And then they were like, then we’re going to do an escape room and we’re all going to hang out together from like sun up until sundown.

And I was like, this is, this is too much and I’m not getting any extra pay for this. Like, it just struck me as like deeply unfair and extremely unfun.

PIGGY 5:19
Yeah.

KITTY 5:20
And that, that, that initial reaction was correct. It is deeply unfair and generally pretty unfun. But it’s one of those things that you gotta get out of the way.

PIGGY 5:35
And I think that like a little bit of context is necessary because you know, we’re both child free hags in our late, late 30s. You know, I’ve been going on business trips since I was 23 years old.

And the first time I went and all of those things happened where it was just this constant meetings and social engagement and networking. And I was like… Okay, this is a fucking lot.

The context is that a lot of the people you work with who are in the middle of their careers or later in their careers, they have children and lots of responsibilities at home that prevent them from going out and enjoying a drink on a weekday night or from socializing without having to look after their kids or like, you know, compromise with their spouse over who is going to be the DD or the responsible one for the evening.

And yeah, my first couple business trips I went with my boss who had like two kids and an unhappy marriage. And like he was like sweet, like I can go out and like party and like have like, it was vacation for him.

And I was just like, you know, I was a 20-something living with a bunch of roommates. Every night is a social event for me. I can go out and I can party whenever I want.

So like this business trip, I was like, this is not fun for me. I don’t want to get drunk with my boss. I don’t want to party.

KITTY 6:54
I actually think this is such a good thing for us to touch on like right away because I, I, the same things happen to me. These like very responsible co-workers in their 30s and 40s got hammered on company time, and it was really awkward, and I was not anticipating that at all.

And I understand now that like they were in a stage of their life where it’s really hard to cut loose. If I had understood that better, I probably would have been more supportive. But instead it was just like… I have had two drinks over the course of four hours, and you had two drinks in the first 20 minutes. So we are not the same.

And it is… Oh, boy. It’s awkward.

PIGGY 7:45
Yeah. I do want to mention, you know, there’s the “golf tax,” it’s a way of expressing sort of inclusivity and gender equity in the business realm. We’re talking, you know, men make business deals over golf, and if you’re not invited to that golf outing, then you’re, like, necessarily left out of that very important networking and those business arrangements.

And the same can be said for partying on business trips. But I think the key is everything in moderation. Like, you can drink on a business trip. Like, if your colleagues or people from other companies are going out or they’re having dinner or something, you can go and you can have one low ABV beer or, you know, low ABV alcohol by volume drink in general.

Or you cannot drink.

KITTY 8:41
Woah.

PIGGY 8:42
I know. It’s a revolutionary concept, I’ve never tried it myself. So, like, if you try this hack, write in, bitches@bitchesgetriches.com, let us know how not drinking goes for you.

You can even go to the bartender, and you can be like, hey, can I get some soda water with lime? And it’ll look like a little cocktail, but it’s not.

KITTY 8:59
Yeah.

PIGGY 9:00
So, you know, you can go to bed early. You can leave the party early. You can say, like, oh, I’ve got to prepare for my presentation tomorrow.

I think the takeaway I want here is, like, there’s really no shame in, like, showing up to the initial meeting, doing the networking, like, having those conversations going back to your hotel room before you make a fool of yourself or watch your boss make a fool of him or herself.

KITTY 9:26
Yeah… I did see, in a past job, one of my senior managers making out with my VP. They were not only both married—

PIGGY 9:44
Oh, no.

KITTY 9:44
—but both heterosexual women, purportedly. So I have seen some dark things. I’ve seen fire and I’ve seen rain.

PIGGY 9:59
Oh, my God.

KITTY 9:59
Can I expense therapy for that, because I need to process this! After this company trip, can I build a company? Because I need it so.

And this is, like, very contextual. Some industry events are, like, kind of known for being, like, BronyCon ragers. And others are extremely buttoned up. Like, you will do something foolish—you’re all gonna play outdoor Jenga and drink lemonades together. And that is that company’s definition of a rager.

You kind of just have to, like, be loose and go with the flow. And expect anything. Hopefully it’s not overwhelming and alienating and weird, but it might be.

PIGGY 10:39
A company I used to work for had an annual, like, employee retreat. So it was like, you know, the entire company, hundreds of people. And there, like, the last night of the conference, there was a big, like, banquet dinner for everybody. And like, that was it. That was the event.

And then, of course, there was an after party at the hotel bar, and then there was an after-after party at somebody’s room. And I, at the time was on a team that had several younger women it. Who I was, you know, very protective of. And I feel like that’s another thing you should be concerned about on business trips is like, look out for your girls, your fellow employees.

Like, don’t let anybody sort of get in trouble or make a fool of themselves if you can help it. But, like, also, don’t get yourself in trouble by sticking your neck out with them. This will make sense in context.

Anyway, so we were at the after-after party, and I was mostly there to look out for these young women on my team. And I noticed there was a young man, another 23 year old, and he was getting very handsy with my younger female co-workers.

And I was like, okay, well, I don’t like this. So I went over to them. And one of the women, she’d had a little bit too much to drink, so I was just like, hey, let me walk you back to your room. And she’s like, that’s a good idea. Great.

So I take her to her room, put her to bed, and then I go back to the party because I had left my purse there.

And when I get to the party, standing out in the hallway is that young man trying to get into the door of the room next door, which was not his room.

And so I was like, hey, bud. Can I help, or whatever? And as I’m trying to get him back in this room, he starts pawing me.

Now, I am an elder millennial. This is not my first rodeo. I was stone cold sober. And, you know, it’s not the first time I’ve had a man non consensually put his hand on my butt. (But I hope it was the last.)

Anyway, so finally a co-worker opens the door and we go in. And another co-worker sees that as I’m holding this kid upright, his hands are just wandering.

And this co-worker takes one look at the situation and is like, no, this is not okay. And he took over. And it is not coincidental that that co-worker who got me out of that situation is a trans man who is in a unique position to understand what women go through in that sort of situation. So shout out [GILES!]. Love you.

Once he took over, like, I left and went to bed the next morning. He’d gone to HR to report what he saw. And I got pulled aside by not HR, but the head of legal at this company.

And what I didn’t know was that after I went to bed, my co-worker had taken this kid to bed. Like, put him to bed. And he had thrown up on the co-worker. And then later in that night, someone else in the hotel found him wandering the halls stark naked.

Anyway, I was asked to make a statement to legal because they wanted to make sure I wasn’t going to sue the company over this. And I was just like, no, I understand. I feel very taken care of. And like HR reached out and everyone made sure that, like, I was okay. The other women who he felt up were okay.

But I found out, like, HR called me like, the following Monday and they were like, yeah, he was fired immediately.

KITTY 14:27
That story is so… It’s very funny. It’s terrifying as well, because it’s like, god, you think about how this situation could have gotten even worse if the right people hadn’t intervened at the right time, if you guys hadn’t been together in a group. Like, that’s really scary. So I think it’s actually a great story to demonstrate both, like, what not to do. So don’t get trashed…

PIGGY 14:55
Don’t get trashed!

KITTY 14:56
Don’t get drunk. Honestly, don’t even get tipsy.

PIGGY 15:03
Just go to bed, after one drink, that’s okay. But also, don’t leave your purse somewhere!

KITTY 15:09
Gotta keep yer purse on ya.

PIGGY 15:10
Because when I escorted my co-worker to her room, I should have just taken my purse with me. So I could have been like, well, that’s the night for me, and I could have just gone on from there.

But yeah, so that’s… That’s sort of the worst scenario of what can happen.

KITTY 15:26
That sounds like, in fact, the worst case business trip. So I’m glad we’re sort of preparing people that this is in.

When you go on a business trip, you get dealt a card. There in a deck of 52 cards, maybe that’s like the ace of spades. Maybe that’s about as bad as it gets. But like, that is a possibility.

PIGGY 15:48
Yeah.

KITTY 15:49
So now that we’ve talked about kind of those very dire situations, what are some more like gentle reminders about, like, how to make the most out of business trip?

Do you really believe that these company retreats or company meetings… Do you really think that they are a great opportunity to network? Like, do you ever feel like you’ve like, gotten a great opportunity that you wouldn’t have otherwise?

PIGGY 16:18
I do. But I think it’s like much in life: you get out of it what you put into it. I’ve definitely benefited from the networking aspect of it. I’ve met many mentors and future clients and future bosses at conferences and work trips.

I think everybody who listens to us knows that I used to work in the book publishing industry, specifically academic book publishing. So I’d go to seven or eight academic conferences a year and not only would I be there, you know, representing my publishing house and recruiting authors, but I’d be meeting my compatriots at other publishing houses and a lot of them became good work friends.

Who, you know, this one guy in particular, like, he—god—all we wanted to do was eat great food at a restaurant and talk about our spouses. Tom and Heather, still going strong. Love you. I never met Heather, but Heather, your husband Tom really loves you! All he wanted to do was talk about you when he was on business trips.

So, you know, you meet great friends. But also, you know, later on in my career I could tap some of those people for work or for references or for mentoring or advice. So I do think that if you’re strategic about who you talk to and what you talk to them about, you can definitely get a lot out of it.

KITTY 17:41
Yeah, I think, I think I kind of feel the same way. It’s a good way to sort of meet people socially who you, who you vibe with. And it’s great and convenient if those people happen to be higher up on the chain than you are, or maybe on a different team where you don’t normally get to work with them, but you are interested in maybe moving. So those are great people to hang out with. Hopefully your work trip is being run in such a way to facilitate these kinds of connections.

Usually they will do team building things or they will have lots of like, meals where you have unscheduled time. Take advantage of that if you’re interested in growing in this field and in this company, like, go and introduce yourself to people, sit next to people who you don’t know.

They’re a captive audience. You’re both there eating ravioli. Like, talk to them. Don’t prepare a sales pitch or anything. Just be your normal self and hopefully you make sort of a social connection that easily rolls into a more networky sort of connection.

If you have no interest in staying with this company or no interest in staying in this field, then just sit next to the people who you already know and like, yeah, boom, done.

PIGGY 19:00
And I will say that this goes both ways too. Like, if there are younger people, if you’re sort of in the middle of your career, go hang out with the younger people who are just starting their careers. You never know who’s going to help you out.

You can never go wrong by just choosing to be helpful to somebody else. So be the mentor if you’re in a position to be that person.

KITTY 19:24
Yeah.

What should you wear on a business trip?

PIGGY 19:28
Oh, I’m so glad you asked. We’ve sort of mentioned a lot of like, big scenarios, but I think that this goes for even if you’re like traveling on your own and you’re meeting like one client. I am a big proponent of the Boy Scout motto of be prepared.

So one of the things I think you should keep in mind is that clothes tend to get wrinkly in suitcases. (I know, brand new information here.) So either learn how to iron and make sure that there’s an iron at your hotel, you can call ahead and ask, or pack clothes that don’t need to be ironed.

That’s kind of a good one. Cotton jersey looks great. And if you roll your clothes instead of fold them in your suitcase, that is really good for making sure that wrinkles don’t happen.

I also think packing multiple options is great. You never know when you’re going to spill something on yourself and not have, you know, access to laundry facilities. So pack multiple options.

And the last thing I’ll say on wardrobe is pack comfortable shoes. I can’t be the first woman presenting person on the world to regret packing 4 inch heels that I had to wear for, you know, 12 hours at a stretch and just wanting to die at the end of the day. So, like, even if you pack heels, like pack comfortable ones, pack flats, it’ll be fine.

KITTY 20:56
But you know what? The process of like begging people, starting from the largest purse on down, for who has band aids to put on your foot blisters. That’s also a great networking opportunity, let me tell you!

PIGGY 21:12
It is a great networking opportunity.

KITTY 21:14
Someone there is going to be either an actual mom or just spiritually motherly. And they will be like: “I have everything. What do you want? What do you need? Do you want safety pins? Do you want Tylenol? I have everything in here.”

PIGGY 21:27
And on that note, you know, you mentioned large purses, travel in business clothes, or pack a businessy outfit in your carry on. There’s nothing worse than like being like, I’m going to wear the pajamas on my airplane trip. And then the airline loses your bag.

So you’re supposed to like, talk to clients or be in a very professional work environment and you’re like, these are my yummy sushi pajamas. Don’t let that be you.

KITTY 21:58
I would use that opportunity. I would leverage that and become a legend in my own time. But that’s just me.

PIGGY 22:04
You may not be on the clock the whole time that you are on your, your business trip, but you are representing your professional career and your company the whole time. So this means don’t pack or wear anything that you wouldn’t want your boss or a client to see you in.

I had a fucking business trip to Honolulu once of all fucking places, which is a terrible place for a business trip because everyone here is on vacation. No one wants to be here working.

And I got the most like 1950 granny panty style bathing suit because I was just like, if I’m going to the beach on my personal time and I happen to run into my boss, I like, I just like would have died if he had seen me like in a bikini or something.

So, yeah, just know that you are representing your personal career, you are representing your company. And just don’t, don’t do anything or wear anything that you would, that would, would reflect poorly on that, I should say.

KITTY 23:06
Yeah, the very first business trip I went on, we all showed up at the hotel and we were like, you know, getting in a line to get our room keys because the company had booked the rooms for us and they were like, here you go. Here, here is your room, the two of you.

KITTY 23:27
And one of my co-workers was like, I don’t share rooms. I’m a grown woman. I’m not sharing my room with anyone.

PIGGY 23:36
Which, frankly, is the correct response.

KITTY 23:39
Our manager was like, of course, I will get you your own room. And that co-worker, in that moment, she did sort of come across as demanding, as not being flexible and just going with it.

However, she also was completely within her bounds to want to have her own private space for that. And there is nothing wrong with that.

It’s one of those things where it’s like, I’m gonna cash in some of my, some of my social currency to say like, no, I’m not doing this. And that is completely, completely within your bounds.

I remember having a friend who got to a work conference and found out that they were expect to share a BED with someone. And they were like, no, no, it’s fine, it’s just girls in your room, it’s fine! And she was like…

PIGGY 24:38
No it’s not?

KITTY 24:39
I… Am a lesbian? And I… What?! There’s just SO many things wrong with that way of thinking.

But just because you’re on a work trip doesn’t mean that you don’t have the leverage to advocate for yourself and your needs. Whether those needs are like, I really can’t go rock climbing with all of you after we’ve been in meetings all day, after we’ve gone to dinner. I’m not gonna stay up late, I’m not gonna go out. I’m gonna get my own meal in my own room. Like, whatever you need.

I will say from my perspective, work trips were the first time I brushed up against this massive idea that had been always present but hidden in my life, which is that: I’m masking 24/7.

And especially in a work environment, I’m presenting, I’m cosplaying as the person that I want to be perceived as in my workplace. And when I go home, that is a mask that I take off and I throw it on the floor where it gets covered in dog hair. So, like, it was very, very straining for me the first time I went on a company trip and was like, you mean I have to keep this up 24/7. And again, this is not something I’m doing consciously.

So if you are someone who is maybe an introvert, maybe you are on the autism spectrum or you have ADHD like me, or you have something that kind of like, means that you feel like there’s a part of yourself that you kind of need to like, like lock up a bit in professional social situations. You can account for that.

You can tell the truth and be honest and say, I’m exhausted from a full day of meetings. I’m gonna get dinner on my own. You guys go out and have fun.

It’s gonna ding you, like, a little bit. But standing up for yourself in its own way is making it easier for other people to do that.

PIGGY 26:38
Yeah. Protect your private space and time.

KITTY 26:41
Yeah. And you know what? At the end of the day, how far are you willing to go to kind of project that image? If it’s a company you want to stay at, if it’s team that you love, doing work that you love, sure. Dig deep and, like, be a good sport about everything.

But for the most part, I think you’re in a group and people might not notice if you do a little what we call an Irish goodbye and just kind of, like, quietly leave without making a big deal out of it.

PIGGY 27:11
That’s totally fine. Yeah, just, like, sink into the shadows. I think that’s a really good point.

I think that we’ve talked a lot about sort of the social aspects, but, like, protecting your recharging time is equally important. You mentioned neurodivergent folks, but I think it’s important for all of us.

When I was going on frequent business trips was also the period of my life when I was an avid runner. And I would pack my running shoes and a running outfit, and between, like, the conference, like, hours and dinner or cocktail hour, like, I would go up to my room, I would change, I would not tell anybody where I was going, and I would either hit the hotel gym or I would run around the city.

Which, little known fact, if you run through a city, you can sightsee so much faster than if you’re walking through a city. So, yeah, I will never forget going to Washington, D.C. on a business trip and, like, just running around the National Mall and being like, oh, there’s the White House. Oh, there’s the Capitol bill. Like, all of these cool things I’ve never seen before.

But that was a good way for me to be like, okay, I’m getting all of these endorphins, and I’m stretching my legs from standing in heels all day. But I’m also just, like, having a moment to myself. And that moment could be spent just, like, lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling in your hotel room. It could be spent watching TV or reading a book.

But the important thing is you take a minute to yourself to reset. You’re gonna be sharper.

We’ve talked about this before. Rest is important to not only your health, but your overall performance at work. So take a break, go disappear for a bit. And you don’t have to be with these people 24/7.

KITTY 28:54
Yes.

I should note this especially for younger listeners… Work conferences don’t mean that you’re going back to second grade and you need to, like, ask for permission to go to the bathroom. I need to ask for permission to, like, go upstairs and sit by myself for half an hour and answer a few emails. No, you don’t have to do that.

Work conferences and business trips are a perfect example of, like, just go and do what you’re gonna do. Do not ask for permission. If anyone misses you, then you ask for forgiveness. But it’s very, very unlikely that they will. People just assume that, like, oh, you go to take a call, you go to do whatever. You don’t have to stay on the itinerary. You are still an autonomous adult who can do whatever they like.

PIGGY 29:40
There’s also nothing wrong with going out by yourself again. You know, not every work conference or work trip is a conference. Sometimes you’re just like, on your own.

So I was, I was on a work trip and I went out for dinner and a drink by myself, and I found this little restaurant with a patio. And I’m sitting there on the patio at a table for two with a beer by myself, checking my phone every once in a while, looking around, just enjoying the ambiance.

And, like, the waiter came by a couple times and I was like, oh, I’m not quite ready. I just want to sit and decompress for a minute.

And there was this couple on a date next to me, and at one point they turned to me and they very sweetly and kindly were like, so was it like a Tinder date? And I was like, what? And they were like, well, you’re clearly waiting for somebody and he’s not here. Would you like to join us for dinner? It was the cutest thing.

KITTY 30:41
That is SO cute.

PIGGY 30:43
It was very sweet. Which, like, you know, had I been stood up on a blind date, I would have been so grateful.

But I was like, oh, no, no, no, you’ve misread the situation. I had to be like, no, I’m just like a fucking misanthrope on a work trip. And I’ve been talking to people all day, and I just want to sit here quietly and drink alone before I order my food.

It was so sweet.

KITTY 31:08
When feels a little bit awkward about, like, dining alone, just know that everyone is probably looking at you thinking that a Tinder date canceled. And what they’re feeling is not scorn, but, like, just the deepest of empathy.

PIGGY 31:21
Compassion!

KITTY 31:23
They’re like, oh, my god, I would do anything for this person who I’ve never met right now. And you know what? Just like, lean into that.

PIGGY 31:29
Yeah, counterpoint, lean into it!

KITTY 31:34
You could’ve gotten dinner with those very nice people!

PIGGY 31:35
I could have gotten dinner. I could have made up a whole life story for myself. They wouldn’t have known.

KITTY 31:42
Start fresh, in this city, with a new polycule.

PIGGY 31:43
Exactly. Missed opportunity.

KITTY 31:48
One other thing comes to mind for me, which is that so in some cases, when you go on a business trip, everything is, like, planned for and paid for by you, and other times it is planned for and paid for by the company.

In cases where you can book stuff yourself and then get reimbursed later, always choose that if you have the spare credit card money to do that or whatever, because you can pay it off pretty immediately. Most companies are very good about getting those reimbursements through quickly.

And then? Free points.

PIGGY 32:25
Free points! I did so much personal travel on the points that I earned, like, booking my own flights when I worked for certain companies at the same time.

Like, don’t let companies take advantage of you. Like, probably my second or third business trip… I was early 20s. I had one credit card, the limit of which was like, $1,500. And I’d had some expenses that month. So when it came time to check into my hotel for this work conference, they very discreetly slid my card across the counter, and they’re like, it was declined because you had too much on the card.

And I was like, okay, what do you do? They said: you’re here for three nights. You only have enough on your card to, like, pay for one night. I was like, great, let’s do that. Then I ran up to my hotel room, and I managed to pay some off. Then I called my boss, and I was just like, I didn’t know what to do.

And he’s like, just put it on another credit card. And I was like, I’m 24! I have one credit card! It’s for emergencies! And he was like, oh, okay. So he paid for the rest of it on his credit card.

So just be careful about that kind of thing. Understand your, your limitations. Getting points is great. Maxing out your credit card is not great. Being a 24 year old in a strange city with no idea how to navigate these things, also not great.

KITTY 33:56
And certainly never, ever, ever put any personal expenses for a business trip onto your personal card if you don’t have every reason to think that this company is going to reimburse you and reimburse you in a timely fashion. Don’t let anybody pull a Fyre Festival on you.

PIGGY 34:15
Yeah, God. Shout out to your excellent article that you wrote called… What was it? Are You Working for the Next Fyre Festival? It’s all about toxic work environments.

KITTY 34:26
Everyone should go how to spot this. When you are working for a company that is trying desperately to appeal to venture capital because they are minutes away at any given point from total implosion.

PIGGY 34:40
Are you good with that?

KITTY 34:41
I’m good with that!

PIGGY 34:42
Listeners, if you want more of us and our astute wisdom—and who could blame you!—you should check out our website, bitchesgetriches.com that will lead you to our YouTube channel. It will lead you to our entire backlog of articles and podcast episodes. And yeah, it’ll be great. You can see all of it.

And if you want to ask us a question, you should click the link on our website that says Ask the Bitches and we might just choose your question to be featured on the podcast.

KITTY 35:09
Yes, but it helps if you first ask us to break a large bill and then slide one of the bills our way…

Hey, is there anything else they should know?

PIGGY 35:21
Yes. This whole time I have been having an allergic reaction to something that has caused my left eye to slide swell nearly shut. And I, I did some makeup. I put some ice on it, trying to make it… Anyway, I don’t know what I’m allergic to. I don’t know why my face looks like this.

But I’ve been trying to hold my eye really wide through the whole video, and I just want everyone to appreciate the lengths I go to for this podcast.

KITTY 35:51
Bitches Get Riches, serving Mad Eye Moody Realness! Well, good to know.

BOTH 36:00
Bitches out!